


If the Clouds Get Heavy (And Start to Fall)

by BigBadLittleRed



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Affection, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Eddie Diaz, post tsunami
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:40:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21789958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigBadLittleRed/pseuds/BigBadLittleRed
Summary: Eddie reunites with his son and best friend after the tsunami, and can't help but show how grateful he is they're safe.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 18
Kudos: 666





	If the Clouds Get Heavy (And Start to Fall)

**Author's Note:**

> ( This was a concept that wasn't mine, presented by someone on the Buddie server I'm on. I wrote this in like an hour and a half, and it's super short but I hope you like it, Charlie! )

The hospital is a bit chaotic, despite the staff keeping a relative hold on everything going on. There is a constant stream of people flowing in, injuries ranging from mild to severe. Eddie had offered his service once he arrived with Bosko, simply because he knew they likely needed it at the moment. He finds himself drifting to the outside tents, helping a nurse remove a piece of metal shrapnel from a woman’s leg.

It’s as he’s leaving the tent that he can see Bobby and the crew arriving with a group of survivors. Hen and Chimney are working to unload some of the more incapacitated patients, and Bobby is commandeering the whole thing with calm and clear communication as he directs the group to where they need to be.

Eddie is moving before he thinks twice, jogging over. “Hey, Cap!”

The man turns his head, and for a moment, he looks concerned. He says something to Chim before Eddie can get close enough to hear, and then is walking over to him. “Eddie.” His hand presses to Eddie’s shoulder, turning him to walk in the opposite direction and follow his lead.

“Bosko is fine, but this place is overrun-”

“Eddie,”

“Do you need me, because if you do, I can come with-”

“Eddie!” He pauses, examining Bobby’s face closely and starting to feel his stomach churn nervously. “Have you talked to Buck since this morning?”

He frowns, looks past Bobby towards the mail truck and ambulance that his crew had pulled up in. For some reason, he expects Buck to be there, having dropped Christopher off with Carla and come down to help. He catches no sight of the man, and his insides twists uncomfortably. “Wh- No…?”

“Maddie just called me; she can’t get ahold of him.” He gestures down, and Eddie automatically reaches for his phone.

He yanks out his cell, hands starting to shake at the very thought of Buck and Christopher being caught up in any of this. “They were going to the movies,” He realizes that in the hustle and bustle since this morning, he’d gotten a lot of new notifications.

A call from his abuela, some messages from his mami and papi, and a few more from his sisters. He scrolls through the new messages until he sees Buck’s name and sees a little number 2 next to the man’s name. “He sent me something.” He opens it.

**11:23 AM**

**From Buck:**

**Decided to go to boardwalk**

The words make his heart plummet into his stomach, mouth following it as it drops open. The picture underneath it is Christopher holding a large stuffed bear on a bench with the ocean behind him past the pier rails. His tiny arms can barely fit around the bear, his grin bright and mouth open with absolute joy. The water behind him looks dangerous, somehow, foreboding.

Bobby peers over his shoulder, and he hears the man curse under his breath.

Eddie’s vision blurs with horror, confusion, dread. He’s spent the whole day unaware, thinking that the boys were somewhere safe, waiting out the storm. He hadn’t once thought twice about it, and now it’s dark. Are they caught in the chaos, lost, _hurt_? The mere concept makes him feel sick, absolutely sick.

He presses the call button at the top of his phone and pushes his phone to his ear. “Come on, come on.” He squeezes his eyes shut and starts to pray that this is just a mix-up.

Buck turned off his phone, they went to a movie soon after they sent the text. Please, God, _please_.

“ _Hey this is Evan Buckley, I’m busy at the moment but if you leave a message I’ll get back to you as soon as possible._ ” The personal recording makes his throat swell shut, and Eddie starts to feel fear and helplessness sink in.

“He’s… He’s not answering.” He looks to Bobby, afraid and lost. He doesn’t feel any better finding Bobby’s eyes reflecting back his own worry. “Bobby, he’s not answering… What if Christopher-”

“Daddy?” His head whips around so fast that his neck twinges. “Daddy!”

Eddie catches sight of his little boy tucked in the arms of none other than Evan Buckley himself as he steps from a medical tent. They’re both soaked to the bone, Buck has cuts on his face and a large strip of gauze on his forearm along with more smaller cuts scattered up and down his arms. Eddie can see how glassy his eyes are, he seems stunned. After a moment of them staring, Buck just collapses down onto his knees. He looks tired, like he’s hanging on by a thread, but his arms are steady around Chris.

His breath leaves him all at once, and he rushes forward with Bobby. “Dios mio!"

Eddie goes down into a kneel, shifting Chris from Buck’s arms and onto his raised knee. He pulls his boy close by the head, kissing at damp curls and clamping down his other hand on Buck’s shoulder. Buck just sinks back on his haunches, eyes haunted and tear-filled. Eddie shifts closer, pulling him in even when he resists.

“Come here, let me see.” He tucks an arm around Chris’s waist and automatically going over a mental checklist. He takes a second to look at Buck’s eyes for a concussion, then observing the rest of him carefully for any serious injuries. “Gracias a Dios, thank you, thank _God_.” He yanks Buck’s head down against his shoulder, holding both of his boys on the pavement.

Bobby has moved back now, having deemed the situation handled for the moment. Eddie doesn’t hesitate to start pressing desperate kisses to Chris’s head again, and then switching over to Buck’s temple. He braces his arm around Buck’s back, alternating between squeezing him and rubbing at his back soothingly as Buck shakes apart in his embrace.

“Don’t you two _ever_ do that to me again! I was so scared, never scare me like that.” He caresses the back of Christopher’s head, lets out something far too close to a sob and clutches at the fabric of Buck’s shirt between his shoulders.

“Buck saved me; he saved a lot of people.” Christopher tells him, one arm around Eddie’s neck and the other clutched in the collar of Buck’s shirt, afraid to let go.

He feels emotions shoving their way up into his throat, trying to bubble and spill out in a way they shouldn’t. Not over a best friend, they shouldn’t. But he’s so proud, he’s so grateful to have a man like Buck even associated with him.

“Yeah?” He blinks back tears, breathing shakily as Buck lifts his head from Eddie’s shoulder “Nuestro ángel guardián. Our hero, huh?” He cups Buck’s cheek gently, trying to avoid any wounds present.

His eyes are red-rimmed, tears dampening the skin beneath them. “I lost him, Eds.”

“What? You’re _safe_ , Buck, it’s all okay.” He promises, reaching up and thumbing at the corner of the man’s eye.

“We g-got separated, I tried-” The tears glisten in his gaze, something young and vulnerable there.

“You found me!” Chris objects over him, Buck shaking his head and distress seeming to overtake him.

“H-He fell, I lost him, I’m… I’m sorry, Eddie.”

“Hey, _easy_ ,” Eddie shifts and sinks down onto his bottom on the damp cement, pulling the boys along with him. “You been checked over yet?” He tucks Chris into his lap and Buck into his side, turning his head and spotting Bobby nearby talking to Hen intensely. “Hen!”

The woman moves immediately, a bag of supplies in hand, Bobby hot on her heels as they approach the group on the ground.

“Hey, Buckaroo, hey Christopher.” Hen greets them with the same gentleness she would any patient, but with more genuine fondness in her eyes. “How about you take Chris, I’ll take Buck, and we’ll make quick work of this?” She offers to Eddie, who nods his head.

“Got it,” Eddie proceeds to check over his son, getting bits and pieces of the day’s events shared to both him and Bobby.

Buck is silent aside from the flat answers to Hen’s questions and prodding, but he doesn’t seem severely injured. Once he’s certain that Chris is unharmed, he turns his attention to Buck as he holds his son. He watches Hen administer something to help stop the bleeding and curses himself for having forgotten that Buck is on blood thinners. She disinfects his cuts and bandages up bigger wounds.

“How is he?” Eddie can’t help but wrap an arm around Buck’s back, reassurance for himself and hopefully for Buck.

Hen pulls back from bandaging up the final wound, giving Buck’s shoulder a squeeze. “He needs fluids and rest.”

“Bobby?” Eddie turns his head to look at the man, can see something curious and calculating in his eyes as he observes them carefully.

“Stay with them, we got it from here.” He sighs, Eddie nods gratefully.

Bobby and Hen help Buck to his feet, Eddie already getting on his phone and messaging his abuela. He tells her he’s safe and to tell the rest of the family as they head back into the medical tent, his coworkers helping Buck down onto a cot to rest. Eddie lowers Chris when he squirms, watching as the boy carefully climbs into the cot next to the man to cuddle up to him. Eddie drops down onto the floor next to the cot by their heads automatically.

Buck looks seconds from falling unconscious, his head slightly turned towards Eddie. Hen moves to talk to a nurse to get him an IV of fluids, and the moment of being left in relative privacy ruins what’s left of his self-control. He drops his phone in his lap, then reaches up, one hand resting on his son’s back and the other combing through Buck’s coarse, drying hair.

“Mis chicos.” He murmurs, pesky tears returning as he takes them in once more. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

Christopher rests his head on Buck’s chest, looking at him. “Daddy?” He offers a shaky smile and a hum in reply. “Buck said you would be mad at him, are you?”

He frowns, rubs at the boy’s back then moves his hand up to squeeze the back of his neck. “Why would I be mad?”

“Because the flood happened while he was watching me.”

“Buck didn’t cause a tsunami, that certainly was not his fault.” He casts a glance to Buck, finding him staring up at the ceiling with something akin to guilt written in his features. “That would be very silly of him to think, because there’s _nobody_ in this world I would rather have taking care of my son when I can’t.” He uses his hand to push Buck’s face towards him, so he’ll look at Eddie.

“That’s what I said.” Chris mumbles, he seems tired too, eyes already drooping as he tucks a fist into the fabric of Buck’s shirt.

“Why don’t you rest, mijo, Buck and I are right here.” He promises, leaning up and over slightly so he can kiss the boy’s forehead.

“Okay,” He sighs, not loosening his grip but allowing his eyes to close for now.

When Eddie looks back to his partner, the younger man has a tear dripping down his temple, eyes bloodshot. He immediately shakes his head, dismissing the mere thought of guilt coming from Buck. He brushes his fingers through his saltwater stiff hair, moving once more so he can press another firm kiss to Buck’s forehead this time.

“Eddie,”

“Don’t, do not even _think_ about it.” He insists, sniffing against the remnant of relieved tears that remain in his eyes. “I know you did everything in your power to keep him safe, and you brought him back to me, that’s more than I could ever ask.”

The nurse returns to hook up the IV, Hen has disappeared outside with Bobby, probably off to take care of more survivors. But all Eddie can think about are these two, his son and their Buck. Because as selfish as it is, he feels it deep in his chest, a greedy little part of him that wants to lock Buck away for just himself and Christopher. Keep him safe, keep him happy, keep him out of harm’s way.

“You scared the shit out of me.” He says softly, and instead of his usual sheepish grin, Buck just stares. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost either of you.” He clears his throat then, gathering himself. “You should rest too.”

“Eds,” Buck exhales, exhausted and emotionally drained.

“You’re safe, I’m going to keep you safe, querido.” The term of endearment is deliberate, fills his heart with song. He watches Buck blink at him in quiet confusion, his cheeks turning a bit ruddy colored. “Sleep, Lindo.”

He only earns a tired nod, and the weight of Buck’s intense gaze as he fights to stay awake. It takes seconds before his eyes shut, but Eddie doesn’t move his hand from Buck’s hair or Christopher’s back. He knows after this he won’t want either of them out of his sight, and that things are going to change. He needs to talk to Buck about this, about them, but for now, he can just let them sleep. He can keep them safe right here on this cot, in this tent, for now.

They’re his, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> ( General notes, I know practically nothing about Spanish so a lot comes from Google Translate.
> 
> Dios Mio - My God  
> Gracias a Dio - Thank God  
> Nuestro ángel guardian - Our guardian angel  
> Mis chicos - My boys  
> Mijo - Son  
> Querido - Dear, or Darling  
> Lindo - This is like 'cute' but also it can be used as a nickname I think??? It means like Pretty Boy, it's for younger guys and it's a term of endearment as far as I know. 
> 
> Anyways, hoped you liked it! Thanks for reading! )


End file.
